Children of Earth: Love Remains
by TWIantoJones
Summary: In this version, that takes place starting at Day 4, Jack, Ianto and Gwen struggle to save the children and the world and one member of the team has to make a decision that will stay with them all forever.
1. Love Remains alt Day 4 and 5

Children of Earth: Love Remains

Rating: Mature, not graphic but not really for children.

Summary: RTD and Co. claim that the only solution to save the world from the 456 was for Jack to lose his lover and sacrifice his grandson. In this version, that takes place starting at Day 4, Jack, Ianto and Gwen struggle to save the children and the world and one member of the team has to make a decision that will stay with them all forever.

Notes: RTD and Co. would like us to believe that Ianto had to die in order for Jack to do what was needed to save everyone. Don't buy it; Jack has proven that he does what is needed, no matter what the cost. In this version, Ianto lives but there is still severe loss on the part of each member of Torchwood. Sacrifices are made by each of them and the children are saved. Some readers will probably see my solution to the crisis as horrific and inhuman, but I feel that it is no more so than what was done to Steven, Jack and Ianto.

I have stated many times that I am not a Gwen-Hater however, can someone please tell me exactly what Gwen lost/sacrificed in the third series? Jack: lost his lover, killed his grandson, his daughter hates him. Ianto: um, hello? He's dead, Jack couldn't tell him he loved him, oh, and he will never know if the world was saved because he's dead. Alice: her son was killed. Steven: dead. Maybe he and Ianto should start a club. Rhiannon: her brother is dead. I mean, come on, even _Andy_ suffered more than Gwen did, when you look at how long he was in the 5 episodes. So what makes Gwen Cooper so special that all that she lost was two friends (one dead, one run off) and her faith in the government? Please, who hasn't lost faith in their government at some point?

This story is not the happiest story. I made all three TW members suffer. But unlike RTD and Co., I also give all of them a little bit of hope. I give them all a chance at redemption. So if you hate what I've made them (especially Gwen) go through and flame me, well, get over it. It's unrealistic that Gwen would have not suffered much. Life is tough. Flames will be used to heat up my coffee.

Review my story here or at twiantojones yahoo . com (no spaces)

~_~_~

Jack leaned against the wall of the Hub 2 and watched Ianto type from across the room. His lover was still upset that he knew so little about him and so was ignoring him. Okay, he could work with that. Ianto was pouting; eventually he would get over it and they would talk around the subject and get back to the way they were.

But how had they been? Ianto wanted to call them a 'couple' but Jack wanted them to just be 'Jack and Ianto'. Did they have to label their relationship? Couldn't they just enjoy each other's company without calling it anything?

_"I've only just scraped the surface, haven't I?"_

_"Ianto, that's all there is."_

_"No, you pretend that's all there is."_

Ianto was right. There was more to Jack Harkness than what most people knew. He rarely opened up to anyone, no matter how close they were. He had learned the hard way that the people of this planet couldn't handle the depths that made a person who they were. The last person he had tried to explain himself to had been Alice's mother. She had left Torchwood, had left Jack, and taken his daughter with her. She had tried to escape him but had felt guilty enough that she had let him back into their lives. Both of them had lived in fear of him ever since. He had not opened up to anyone since then. There was no point. He was not going to forge bonds that would be severed when he had to bury everyone around him.

_"One day you'll see me die of old age and just… carry on?"_

He closed his eyes as he remembered the expression on Ianto's face. He had tried to be flippant, but inside he had been in agony. From the moment he had met Ianto Jones he had felt something so deep, so intense that he had desperately tried to squash the feeling. Events had gotten out of his control and eventually, that day in the morgue, Ianto had propositioned him over a corpse with a stopwatch. Jack had let himself care a little. And now he cared too much.

A pair of arms snaked around him from behind. He opened his eyes and looked down at his waist where two hands joined together to embrace him carefully.

"I thought you were mad at me?"

"I am," Ianto said. "Doesn't mean that I hate you."

"You once hated me," Jack pointed out. It seemed like such a long time ago that Lisa had died. It had been less than two years but it felt like forever. So many things had happened since that terrible night. Back then, Jack would have never expected Ianto to want to be near him but now he was glad that those strong arms were holding him close.

"No, I never hated you. I resented you, blamed you. Never hated." Ianto rested his chin on Jack's shoulder and tightened his arms around him. "Jack…" He wanted to tell him now, in case he didn't get the chance to tell him later. Something stopped him though; would his feelings be returned or had Owen been right when he called Ianto a part-time shag? Jack had moved on quickly after Gwen had married Rhys but was he really over her? Sometimes Ianto believed that Jack did love him, even though the words were never said. But other times Ianto felt that Jack stayed with him simply because it was easier than trying to find love while working for Torchwood. No, he would tell Jack his feelings later, when all of this was over.

Or right before he died, whichever came first.

"I'm glad that you don't hate me." Jack reached back and wrapped his arms around his lover. They stood there in silence wondering how much longer they had to be together before it was time for Jack to move on.

Gwen watched the two men as they stood together quietly. A part of her was jealous; jealous more of their closeness than of the fact that Ianto had Jack's affections. She loved Rhys but they had never been as close as Jack and Ianto were. She could not help but feel sad at the thought that Jack might have to mourn Ianto very soon. After all, who was to say that anyone but Jack would make it out of this mess alive? Who was to say they would want to?

She placed a hand on her stomach; she wished that she could feel the baby but it was too soon for that. God she hoped that she survived at least long enough to give birth. Rhys would be able to handle things without her and he knew that there was a chance, a good chance, that he would be widowed because of her job. They had all ready had many arguments concerning her leaving Torchwood. She had put him in his place each time, telling him that her work was important and she was not going to stop. Although she did hope that she would live to see her child grow up.

"I'm going with you."

"No, you're not. It's too dangerous."

She looked up at the raised voices. The peace and quiet was over, she mused.

Jack made his way over to Gwen's computer, Ianto close at his heels, with an angry expression on his face.

"Are you about ready?" he asked Gwen while studiously ignoring the young man next to him.

"Yes, nearly. Are you sure Rhys will be all right?" Her husband was going to be away from her, away from the safety of her gun, she was worried.

"As safe as anyone is with this mess. Okay, let's do this." Jack turned to reach for his greatcoat only to by blocked by Ianto.

"I'm going with you."

"No, you're staying here with Gwen." _I need you safe. Please understand._

"Jack, you might need help!" Ianto protested. "You can't always face things alone."

"He's right, Jack," Gwen said as she stood. She made her way over to the first aide kit they had acquired. "You don't know what to expect, you never actually dealt with the 456 directly. Take him with you." She came back over and hugged him tight.

Jack was about to protest when he felt her slip something into his pants pocket. Something small, something lightweight, familiar. Something that he had used so many times before.

"All right, but you do as I say, got it?" he said.

Ianto nodded and he tucked his gun into the back of his dress pants and then he pulled on his jacket and handed Jack his coat.

"Let's go stand up to them."

"Yes sir."

They walked out of the warehouse while Gwen hurried to send Rhys on his way. It was time for them to fight back. Against the 456 and the government.

~_~_~

Jack tried not to listen to Ianto's conversation with his sister. They'd been forced to walk the rest of the way to the Thames House because of traffic. Time was quickly running out. It was time for Jack to make a decision. If Ianto went inside with him, then he might not come out alive.

Ianto closed his mobile and put it back in his pocket. He glanced at Jack and reached over to take hold of the man's hand. He squeezed it briefly, in a vain attempt to reassure. Jack's fingers tightened around Ianto's and pulled him into an alley.

"Jack?" Before he could fathom what was happening, Jack's hand was pressed against his mouth and nose. Cool liquid entered his nasal passage and he clawed ineffectively at the cloth.

"I'm so sorry," Jack said as he tightened his grip.

No! No, he couldn't do this to him! He wanted to be with him. No matter what he claimed, there was no way of knowing that Jack's immortality was permanent. What if this was the event that caused him to become mortal again? Ianto couldn't bare the thought that Jack might die and not come back this time. If that happened, he wanted to be with him. Even if it meant that he would die too.

_Jack, don't do this! Don't leave me please!_

He was scared that he would never see him again. He might never get the chance to tell Jack that he loved him.

Jack carefully lowered Ianto to the ground. He knew that Frosbisher's people would be able to zero in on Ianto's location. He had to hurry. Who knew what they would do if they found him, unconscious at that.

He pocketed Ianto's mobile and looked around. He pulled Ianto towards a door. He turned the knob and peered inside; it was a storage locker for a retail shop. Perfect. He laid Ianto against the wall and pulled off his great coat; folding it beneath Ianto's head he formed a pillow to cushion it.

"I hope you can forgive me," he murmured. "But I care too much. I can't risk losing you, not yet." He pressed a kiss to Ianto's forehead and slipped out the door, closing it firmly.

He knew that Johnson would be tracking the mobile by now. If it all went according to plan they would find Gwen first and then go search for Ianto. By that time Jack hoped that this would be over, or at least a solution would be made apparent. He shook his head as he thought of their half-baked plan. Rhys was hidden with all of the files and videos of the government debating the fate of the children while Gwen was the bait for Johnson and Jack was going to make a stand, alone, against the invaders. Yeah, not their best plan. He seriously doubted that it would work, but at least they were trying.

He glanced back at the closed door and heaved a sigh. Ianto was going to be furious. He could be very protective of Jack; when he had gone to retrieve the second Risen Mitten, Ianto had torn his head off later for it.

_I'm sorry, Ianto, but even though it hurts to care about you, it hurts more to think about losing you._

He turned and continued on to the Thames House. Once inside he raised his two guns and shouted, "Jack Harkness, Torchwood. I demand to speak to the 456."

~_~_~

Gwen watched as Jack threatened the 456. She watched as Jack collapsed onto the floor, suffocating as his lungs were filled with poisoned air. She held Clem as he died at the hands of the 456.

Johnson stared at the computer, at Clem, back to the computer. The very people she worked for were willing to sacrifice millions of children in order to keep their own loved ones safe. It sickened her. How could she look at herself in the mirror without feeling disgusted at her reflection?

There were over two hundred people in the Thames House when the 456 released the virus into the building ventilation system. Johnson closed her eyes as she thought of how she had blown up the Torchwood base. Perhaps she had also blown up the means to destroy the 456.

_What have I done?_

Gwen slowly pulled away from Clem's body, gently laying him down. Her mobile beeped and she pulled it out. She did not recognize the number; it was probably someone who knew the actual owner of the mobile.

"Hello?" Her voice was hollow, empty.

"Gwen?"

"Ianto!" She stood and forced her gaze forward; she had to focus on something other than the body next to her. "You're okay!"

"No thanks to the two of you," Ianto snapped.

"I'm sorry Sweetheart, but I couldn't risk it. It killed me when Tosh and Owen died, if you had gone with Jack, you would be dead now too."

"Why? What happened?"

"The 456 released some sort of virus into the ventilation system at the Thames House, it killed everyone inside."

"Jack?" The worry in his voice cut through her like a knife.

"I'm going to get him now."

"I'm coming too."

"No, it might not be safe."

"You're pregnant and going so get over it. I've been with Torchwood longer than you, I know the risks."

Gwen sighed and looked at Johnson. The guilt the other woman felt was all over her face; she knew that she had made an ally now.

"Where are you? We'll come and get you."

Johnson waved one of the soldiers over. "We'll be taking Ms. Cooper and Mr. Jones to the Thames House to retrieve Harkness. Have the- the body taken to the hospital for an autopsy."

"Yes ma'am."

Johnson turned back to Gwen. She had to help Torchwood. It didn't matter if she was to be tried for treason later. Millions of children were in danger. She herself had no children, no nieces or nephews, but her job was to help protect all the people of the world. This entire situation went against what she had been trained for. Even if she died saving the children she would help Torchwood.

"Are you ready to go?" Gwen asked softly. "Ianto's at a payphone booth a few blocks from the Thames House. I told him to wait there for me."

"Then let's go. And Ms. Cooper? For what it's worth, I'm on your side now."

Gwen smiled a thin smile and walked out the door.

~_~_~

Jack breathed a sigh as he looked at Ianto. He was never so glad that Gwen had a sneaky side to her. If he had taken Ianto with him into the Thames House, he would have died.

"Don't give me that look, Mr. Jones," he berated. "I can't exactly watch you grow old if you died today." He reached up and touched the scar on Ianto's cheek.

Ianto's glare softened. "Bastard."

"I try." Jack couldn't hold back anymore and he didn't care that they didn't have complete privacy. He pulled Ianto into his arms and tucked his lover's head against his shoulder. He closed his eyes and tried to stop the words that tumbled from his mouth. "I love you, dammit. I couldn't risk losing you. Not yet, not like that."

Ianto squirmed his head free and stared at his Captain. Had he really heard what he thought he heard?

"You what?"

Jack swallowed and said louder, "I love you Ianto Jones." Damn, he was doomed. He was going to lose Ianto one day, one day too soon and have to bury him and then try to move on.

"I love you too!" Ianto said happily. He reached up and pulled Jack's mouth down onto his own. He kissed Jack like he had wanted to the night that they had caught Myfanwy. He kissed him as if both their lives depended on it.

His arms tightening around Ianto's body, Jack deepened the kiss, swiping his tongue against coffee flavored teeth and pushed into the warm, wet mouth. He did, he really did love this man. This incredibly mortal man. He couldn't deny it now. But now Ianto knew that Jack would not allow him to be endangered, not if he could help it.

"Uhum…"

The two men pulled away and looked at Gwen. She smiled tiredly despite the seriousness of the situation.

"You do realize that the security cameras captured this moment for all of us to see?" she teased.

As predicted, Ianto's face flushed a bright red. He had only ever made one public display of affection towards Jack and that had been at Gwen's wedding, when he had cut in on her dance with Jack. But that didn't really count as they had retconned the entire guest list.

"Okay," Jack said. "Since Plan A didn't work, do we get to formulate a new plan or get arrested?"

Johnson spoke up from behind Gwen. "Frobisher expects me to hand you all over to him but after witnessing all of this I can't follow that order. The soldiers that accompanied me there feel the same. Some of them have children or know someone who does. No child should be sacrificed to save another, not like this."

"The parents of the world would rather risk losing their own lives than those of their children," Ianto said. "I know that my sister would gleefully throw herself off a cliff if it meant keeping her two children safe."

"So am I ever going to meet your sister," Jack asked. "My understanding of the Welsh language is slowly but steadily getting better."

"That depends, are you going to acknowledge us as a couple anytime soon?" Ianto shot back.

"Hmph." Jack turned to face the others. "Johnson, how many of your people do you think will help us? I suspect that the government is planning to take children by force to deliver to the 456 and their parents will need help protecting them."

"I'll show the video to as many as I can. Those who agree with the government will be locked up. Those who agree that no child should be sacrificed will be sent to the schools and locations that most of the ten percent will probably come from."

"You mean the poor neighborhoods, and the shelters?" Ianto asked worriedly. "Jack, I need to get to Rhiannon-"

"No, I need you here. Johnson," Jack said, stopping Ianto's next comment. "Send some soldiers to his sister's neighborhood. It's a lower-income section of South Wales, Ianto can direct you." At her nod he continued. "Now, we need to find a way to combat the 456. Any ideas?"

"The wavelength," Johnson said. "The 456 are named after a wavelength. Maybe that's the key to stopping them?"

"Okay, we need all of the information that you have on the 456 and equipment." He took a deep breath. "Between that and the Torchwood server we should be able to solve this, so let's get to it!"

~_~_~

Through the night they worked. Torchwood worked on unlocking the solution to drive the 456 away from earth. Johnson's allies worked to determine which children were most likely to be taken and positioned themselves at those locations. The government worked at sending their own soldiers to those same places and more in preparation for the delivery of the children.

Rhiannon and her little family also worked. Ianto had sent a coded message to his sister informing her of what the government planned to do the next day. The message had reached her early enough for her to spread the word to the rest of the neighborhood. All ready several families had joined hers' in an abandoned storage building hiding from the soldiers that began to arrive just before dawn.

The 456 simply waited, certain that their demands would be met. Once they had received the children, they would have enough of a hold on the earth to take it over completely. They would have an endless supply of children to produce the chemicals that they had become addicted to over the years.

~_~_~

"Dammit, where is he?" Jack was pissed off. Ianto had snuck out and left the base. He had used the same device that Gwen had used to knock out the cameras and just walked out the door.

"He probably went to his sister's," Gwen said as she tried to make sense of the sound that had killed Clem. Rhys was there, sitting with Alice and her son Steven who had been released that morning.

Jack slammed the mobile onto the tabletop and tried not to imagine his lover dead. Ianto knew what he was doing. He had to believe that.

_If you don't survive this, Ianto Jones, then I'll never forgive you._

"Captain Harkness!"

Jack walked over to the military technician. "What have you got?"

"We don't need to create a new wave, all we need to do it copy this wavelength and send it back to the aliens."

"Then let's do it."

"There's one problem." The man looked uncomfortable.

"What is it?"

"We have no means of transmitting the signal."

"Sure you do," Dekker, the old scientist who had been analyzing the 456 readings for years spoke up.

Jack looked at the readout on the monitor. He saw what it was that Dekker was talking about. Oh yes, they did indeed have a way to transmit. But it was something that he couldn't do, or could he?

"What?" Johnson asked.

"Stop it," Jack said ignoring the way that Alice looked at him. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to have his family brought here after all. He should have left them locked up until after the crisis was over. It made the only possible solution that much more difficult to discount.

"Same way as them," Dekker continued in a singsong voice, a look of glee on his old face. He was enjoying the turmoil that he knew Jack was in. Smug Torchwood bastards, always strutting about like they owned the place.

"Shut up." No, Jack couldn't believe that he was even contemplating this course, this hideous course, of action.

"Dekker, tell me," Johnson insisted as she and Gwen came to join them.

"Same way as them," Dekker said.

Gwen's eyes widened as she realized what he meant. "A child? You expect us to use a child to transmit the signal? No!" Her hand flew to her stomach. Ever since she had learned she was pregnant she had been more determined than ever to save the world's children.

"Oh yes, center of the resonance," Dekker chuckled. "Ooh hoo! That child's gonna fry!"

Jack closed his eyes as he felt everyone turn towards the little boy sitting next to his mother. Sadly though, Captain Jack was running out of time.

~_~_~

Ianto stared at the chaos around him. Everywhere he looked children were being pulled from their homes, from their parents' arms and drug away screaming. He prayed that Jack and Gwen had found a solution.

"Mommy!"

It was a voice he knew so well. A terrified voice that belonged to a little girl who just the other day had happily been playing a video game while he had admitted to her mother to being in love with a man.

_Mica… _He hurried towards the sound of her voice. A large man wearing a black uniform had her in his arms and she was crying.

"Hey!"

The soldier turned and stared at him. He did not look at all intimidated. And Ianto used that to his advantage. He used his entire body as a weapon, throwing his weight at the man and tackling him to the ground. Mica rolled out of the soldier's grip and onto the ground. Without looking down, Ianto lifted her into his arms.

"Uncle Ianto!"

"It's okay, Mica," he said in a raspy tone. "Just close your eyes and hold onto me!"

And Ianto, like so many others, ran.

~_~_~

"No!" Alice held on tightly to Steven as she glared at her father. They were not using her son.

"We don't have a choice," Johnson said. "It's one child or millions."

Jack still had his eyes closed. He knew that he had no other choice. What he had to do was unthinkable and unforgivable. But Johnson was right; this was one of those times when a few had to be sacrificed to save many.

"Alice," he began.

"No Dad! Tell them no!"

Gwen chewed her bottom lip. She could see the way that Jack was looking at his family. It broke her heart to think that Jack had decided to sacrifice his own grandson. Was there really no other choice? Would she have been able to do it if she were in his shoes?

A wave of nausea hit her so suddenly that she nearly doubled over. Her eyes squeezed shut as she realized that she was in Jack's shoes.

_But this life hasn't even really begun to live._

"Jack?" Her voice sounded strange, robotic, even to her.

"Not now Gwen." This was too much for him to deal with. He didn't have a choice. Why did it have to be Steven?

"Jack…" _Listen to me, please._

"Gwen…" _Don't look at me when I'm becoming the monster Ianto once said I was._

"There's another way." _I don't want to do this. I can't do this. But I have to._

They all turned to look at her. Several pairs of eyes were trained on her face. Slowly she opened her tear filled eyes.

"The solution is right here, inside me." She laid her trembling hand on her still flat stomach.

Rhys understood and he froze. From the moment that he had met Gwen Cooper he had known that he had met the mother of his children. He had known that he was going to marry her and live in a house and raise lots of little brats to be just like him and her. Nothing else mattered to him after he met her. And now, because she had met Captain Jack Harkness, it mattered more than he could say.

"Gwen, no…" he whispered. _She can't, she can't do this, not to us!_

"I'm so sorry, Sweetheart," Gwen said just as softly. At first being a mother had terrified her. The idea had slowly taken over her heart as she looked at the tiny dot. Now, the thought of not being a mother was breaking her heart.

"Gwen." Jack stared at her in shock. He understood now what she was offering. The baby that she had only just learned about a few days back-- but how could he take that away from her?

"There's no other way. It's one or millions," Gwen said as she turned towards him, tears spilling down her face.

"But you could die too," Jack protested.

"Then it will be worth it, if it means that the 456 are defeated." She pulled off her jacket and stepped forward. "What do I need to do?"

~_~_~

Mica screamed as gunshots rent the air. Ianto tightened his grip and kept running. He saw Johnny and several other men, probably fathers and uncles, taking on the soldiers. It was a losing battle. And yet they kept on fighting. It was as Jack had said when he confronted the 456; the people of earth would take up arms to protect their children.

Pain tore through his shoulder as a bullet hit. He drew Mica as close to his body as possible. He barely felt the other bullets as they met their target. His legs gave out and he collapsed onto the hard ground.

"Uncle Ianto!" Mica grabbed at his tie and tugged. "They're coming! Get up!"

He tried to sit up but the pain was too much. Mica, she was only in first grade. He couldn't bear the thought of her being used for whatever sick design the aliens had for the children. He pulled his gun from his waistband and opened fire on the soldiers that were practically upon them. He would take out as many as he could before they could take Mica.

_At least I told him that I love him. I can die knowing that I said it._

A bullet hit his chest. A boot immediately followed it. More boots kicked while the butts of guns made contact with his body. Mica's screams reached his ears and then began to fade away. Ianto wasn't sure if they faded because she was being carried away or if it was because his world was going black.

_Mica, I'm sorry. Jack, I tried, I really tried. Just remember that Ianto Jones loved you. Please don't forget me._

But he knew, as the darkness swallowed him whole, that in a thousand years' time, Captain Jack Harkness wouldn't even remember who Ianto Jones had been.

_I'm just a blip in time for him…_

~_~_~

Johnson's men pulled Rhys bodily from the room. He was yelling and begging. Alice was too afraid for her own child to even try to stop them. She simply pulled Steven outside and into her arms.

Gwen looked at Jack. "We don't have a choice."

"I can't… Gwen, you can't."

"Jack, I always knew that there were risks. From the moment I joined Torchwood I knew that." Gwen wiped at her eyes. "There'll be other opportunities to be a mother."

This was the moment, no other, that she truly regretted her curiosity. If she had stayed away when Torchwood had revived that young man in the street on that cold, rainy night she wouldn't be here now making the hardest decision of her life.

They stared at each other silently for several moments. But time was running out. It was simple enough to transmit using a child, but an unborn? It would take longer to fine-tune the frequency and send it through.

"If you're sure, then there's no turning back, Gwen." He had to try to make her change her mind. He didn't want her to suffer anymore than needed. The loss of Owen and Toshiko was still so raw that if she went through with this course of action it might drive her to the edge of despair and push her from it.

"I'm sure." Gwen touched his arm. "We have to do this, Jack. And I don't blame you or Torchwood. You showed me so many great things. Together we've done so much for this world. And now we have the chance to save it again."

Jack nodded. "Then let's get started."

With help from Dekker they adjusted the wavelength to be able to transmit through Gwen's body. Gwen stood on a small platform and ignored her husband's desperate shouts. She had to do this, to save the other children. She just hoped that Rhys would be able to forgive her, because she wasn't sure she could forgive herself.

She locked her eyes with Jack as his hand hovered over the 'enter' key on the keyboard. She set her lips into a thin line and nodded her head once. She watched as he lowered his finger and pressed the button.

Rhys couldn't tear his eyes away as he heard the terrible sounds come from his wife. The screams ripped at his soul and yet he couldn't look away. She was killing their child. He wanted to hate her, hate Jack and Torchwood. He heard a sniffle and out of the corner of his eye he saw Alice join him, her own child held close.

This was why Gwen was willing to give up her own child. To save the other children who were even now being taken from the safety of their homes. Children who were crying for their mothers. Rhys Williams couldn't hate his wife. But that didn't mean that he forgave her.

~_~_~

Ianto heard the sounds of the children. They had joined their voices once again. The single high-pitched scream grew louder and louder with each passing second. He kept his eyes closed because he could not be certain that the scream was a good thing. He was afraid that if he opened his eyes then he would find all of the children gone.

The screams stopped.

There was complete silence.

Ianto dared to open his eyes.

~_~_~

Gwen's body gave out as the screams died away. Jack and Johnson hurried to her side. Jack pulled her against him and cradled her close. He could hear her breathing. She was alive, at least.

"I don't believe it," Dekker gasped. He stared at the computer in awe. "You did it." Torchwood had done it. They had killed the alien at the Thames House and saved the children of earth.

"Yeah," Jack said softly as Johnson called for the door to be opened and a doctor to be brought in. "We did it."

~_~_~

Captain Jack Harkness sat on a bench in the hallway. Gwen was in Theater 3 and Ianto was across the hall in Theater 4. Gwen had started bleeding internally as a result of the miscarriage while Ianto had been shot three times and nearly beaten to death.

He sat alone because no one else wanted to be with him.

_"How could you let her do that? Her own child!"_

_"So would you have given up Steven, then?" he asked._

_"No! There had to have been another way, Dad."_

_"If we'd had more time, I'm sure I would be able to agree with you. But we didn't. We'd run out of time. And it's not as if I forced her to do it. She offered to make the sacrifice. She did it for you, for all the parents of the world."_

_"I can't stay here. I can't stay here around you when I know exactly what sort of monster you are. And I can't allow you to be near Steven."_

_"I know." Of course he did, it was the same with her mother. The personal cost was too high a price for Alice. "I know that you don't believe this, but I love you. I love both you and Steven and I loved your mother."_

_"Which is why you replaced her so soon after, or was it before, she died. You only care about yourself, Dad. Even that young man in there-" she pointed towards Theater 4. "Even he couldn't change you."_

_"But he has. He loves me and I love him."_

_"Will he still feel that way when he learns what you've done?"_

He had watched Alice walk away from him. He knew that he would never see her again. She would never tell Steven the truth about him either. His entire family was gone. His father had died when he was twelve because of the invading creatures. His mother had died shortly after he joined the Time Agency. Gray, his brother, was gone forever since the Hub had been destroyed. And now his daughter and grandson were gone. He had nothing left.

And now Gwen and Ianto could very well die.

"Captain Harkness?"

A middle-aged man wearing a blood smeared smock stood before him.

"We've removed the three bullets from Mr. Jones body. His spine has been damaged but with physical therapy and a little determination he should regain complete mobility. His heart was damaged but so long as he rests and lets his body heal I'm confident that he'll make a full recovery."

"Thank you, Doctor."

"We're moving him into Recovery. Once he's in there you can come sit with him. He'll likely sleep through to tomorrow. He strong; in a few days we'll release him into your care."

"Thank you." Jack couldn't form any other words. The doctor walked back into the theater and Jack leaned forward, his face in his hands. Ianto was going to be all right. Thank God.

"Captain?"

It was another doctor. From Theater 3.

"Your friend is going to make a full recovery. However, there was so much damage to her uterus that we had no choice but to remove it as well as her ovaries."

There would be no chance of having her own children, then. He hoped that she would forgive him one day since he doubted he could forgive himself.

~_~_~

Six months later…

Jack stood in a field looking up at the stars. It was not a coincidence that it was the same field where he had first met Ianto. It was late at night. It was hard to believe as he looked out at the city that less than a year had passed since Tosh and Owen had died. He had thought that he would never feel so much pain in his life again. Alice had disappeared without a trace. Gwen had left with Rhys, not as punishment for Jack but to try to work things out, to save her marriage and their sanity. Not being able to have children had nearly broken Gwen. The only bright spot for Jack at the moment was Ianto.

His lover had slowly regained the use of his legs. Ianto would have to use a cane for the rest of his life and his heart had been weakened. Yet he had stayed by him, helped him heal from the travesty. The way that Ianto's dark blue eyes could still shine with love for him was astounding.

_I killed Lisa, I abandoned him, I nearly tossed him aside for Gwen and still he loves me._

That was why he was hurting now. He had to leave, for all of theirs sake.

"Jack?"

Ianto and Gwen stood there looking at him. Ianto was holding his cane and favoring his left leg. His face was tired and drawn from the walk up the hill. Lots of things tired him out these days. Just getting out of bed was a workout for the young man. And Gwen, she had lost weight. No doubt she was pushing herself as she tended to do when she was upset. Jack glanced beyond them and could see Rhys sitting in the car waiting.

He couldn't handle being around Jack and that was okay.

"You're leaving aren't you?" Ianto asked. He had seen it in his lover's eyes these last few weeks. Jack was ruined inside. No matter what Ianto did to try to ease the pain Jack was hurting too much. No amount of mind-blowing coffee could take the pain away.

"I have to."

"Why?" Gwen asked, tears in her eyes.

"This planet has become a graveyard. Suzie, Owen, Tosh, the people in the Thames House, Clem and your baby…" Jack shook his head. "So many lives gone because of me. I came here to this planet to find my doctor. I stayed because I knew that the people here weren't ready to defend themselves. And I failed them all."

"Not all," Ianto said. "we're still alive."

'And I almost lost you. Both of you." Jack held out his hand. Ianto placed the recovered Vortex Manipulator into it.

"Will you come back?" Gwen asked hopefully.

"Why?" What reason could he possibly have to return to this planet of sorrows?

"I'm sorry that you lost so much," Gwen said tearfully. "But you can not leave-- you can not just run away." She was begging, but he shook his head.

"There's nothing left for me to lose."

"So then you lied to me." Ianto hardened his face. "The night that Lisa died, you told me that there's always something. Were you lying to me then?"

Jack closed his eyes at the painful memory.

"I never hated you, Jack. I couldn't. Even as I was living for her, I was loving you."

"Don't." _Don't say it. Don't say the one thing that will make me come back._

"I love you."

Jack opened his eyes. He looked at his lover, pain etched into his face. "Ianto."

"I'm not asking you to stay," Ianto said. "I know that you have to leave. I know that right now this planet is too small for you. What I'm asking you is to come back. Not tomorrow, not next year. But someday. Someday I want to wake up, make a pot of coffee, open the door and see you standing there."

"Ianto…" _I love you._

"Jack, just promise me, while you're traveling the stars, that one day you'll come back so that you can see me grow old, have gray hair. Promise me that you'll come back to put flowers, tulips, not roses, on my grave." _That's all I'm asking._

"I don't want you to put your life on hold for me. It could be years." _I love you._

"I know." _Just promise me this one thing, don't let me be a blip in time for you._

Jack looked at them both. He could do it. He could promise that much.

"I will, I promise. One day, when I've found a little bit of peace, I'll come back." _Because the end is where we start from._

He stepped forward and hugged Gwen. It wasn't goodbye. Not yet at least.

He pulled away and looked at the mere mortal who had somehow made such an impression.

"Ianto, I will come back. I promise."

"Don't forget me?" _I'm not just a blip am I?_

"Never could." He smiled at the tone; it was so close to being the old him.

"In a thousand years time, will you remember me?" _Even if for me it's only a few years, it could be an eternity for you._

"I will, I promise."

He pulled Ianto to him. Their mouths fought for dominance, possibly for the last time. As he pulled away eh felt something pressed into his hand. It was a book. A very familiar book.

"Your diary?"

"So that you remember that there's something to come back for. So that even as the days turn into years, when I'm nothing but a memory, when Torchwood is just a memory, you can remember the good times as well as the bad. You can remember me, remember all of us."

"Thank you." Jack slipped the book into his pocket. It was time to go.

He took a step back and looked once more at the two remaining members of Torchwood 3. He didn't know what history would say about Gwen Cooper and Ianto Jones, but he knew that they would live their lives to the best of their abilities. They would continue to thrive.

"I'll be back. I love you both," he said.

"We know," Gwen said through her tears. She held Ianto's hand and smiled.

Jack touched a button on his wrist strap and felt the warm energy of the transport particles wrap around him. He was off to travel the stars but one day he would return. No matter how many years he lived he would always remember these people. They had helped make him who he was now. He could never forget that or his love for them.

As Captain Jack Harkness faded away he saw a face, an old wrinkled face. It was unlike any he had seen before. He saw the lips part and heard the words that would carry him through until the day he ceased to be.

"You are not alone."

And Captain Jack smiled.

The end


	2. Possible Futures 1 thru 3

Children of Earth: Love Remains ~~ Possible Futures ~~

Rating: Teen

Summary: Just what the title suggests. One-shots of the different ways that Jack returns.

Notes: I got the idea from one of my first reviewers (and my own personal fan fiction stalker!!). She said that I left the story's end open to interpretation and I got to thinking, "What all could happen? When will Jack return? Before Ianto and Gwen die? After? When Ianto's found another love?" So here, C of E: Love Remains continues with various little one-shots of the many possible ways that Jack could return.

None of these are connected to anything EXCEPT for "Children of Earth: Love Remains." The first two seem to be at a glance Jack stepping backwards into time from the end fo Ianto's life to several years before but he isn't. I just wanted to show Ianto as an old man first about to die but still clinging on for Jack's promised return and then as an old man with some life left in him I want this to be a happy 'series' so hopefully even if there is death it will be with closure for all involved. Infact, I believe I got the saddest possible future over with first…. Hehe. Heh (kinda hard to laugh when I think about the first one, so I apologize now!!!!)

~_~_~

~~ Future 1 ~~

Jack had been traveling for three years since he had helped save the children of earth from the notorious 456. He had needed to get away in order to come to grips with what he had been forced to do. Now he was ready to go home.

Home. That had a nice ring to it. It had been a while since anywhere besides the Boeshane Peninsula or the TARDIS had felt like home. Now all that he wanted to do was climb into bed next to Ianto's warm body and go to sleep.

He materialized on to the Plass. He breathed in the cool air and smiled. Cardiff! It felt so good to be back. He flipped open his Vortex Manipulator and started the search. He had placed a DNA trace for both Ianto and Gwen onto the wriststrap so that when he returned he would be able to find then. His face lit up with a smile when the search was complete. He adjusted the frequency and transported himself to the correct coordinates.

A large white house with blue shingles sat in the middle of a well-tended garden. Jack walked up the drive and knocked on the door. A few moments later a teenaged girl with long dark hair and familiar blue eyes answered and smiled tiredly at him.

"Hello, may I help you?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, I was looking for Ianto Jones…"

"Oh, you mean grandpa! Mum! Someone's here to see grandpa!"

A woman with a tired face and Ianto's eyes and nose came into the room. "Don't shout, love, grandpa's slee--" She trailed off as she noticed the man standing in the doorway. Her tired face broke into a smile. "Jack…"

"Yes?" he asked uncertainly.

"Are you Captain Jack Harkness?"

"Yes, I am."

"Oh! It's so good to finally meet you! This is… Well it's amazing. Dad was always so sure that you would be back. He never gave up hope. He said that you promised to come back and here you are!"

"Um, Ianto… is he…" Jack stammered worriedly. Hiw much time had passed? Manipulating time and space was often tricky; he had been gone for two years, but what about Ianto?

"He's not doing well. He's been holding on," she said with a soft smile. "He said that you promised to come back and that he couldn't let go until you did." She wiped at the tears that were running down her face. "He loves you. He always did. He loved Mom too, but it was you he was waiting for. Do you want to….?"

"Yes!" If this was the end then he was grateful to have come back. He had to see him one last time.

Ianto slowly opened his clear blue eyes as the most pleasant of scents filled his nostrils. It was for this smell that he had lasted so long. At ninety-seven years he was bedridden and had to rely on his children and grandchildren to help him do anything. But he was not sad nor did he regret any of it. Jack hadn't wanted him to put his life on hold and he hadn't. Instead he had allowed himself to mourn his lover's leaving and had started a new life. He still lived in Cardiff; he had gone to university and had taught history courses for several years at a local school. He had met his wife while out grocery shopping one day; they had fallen in love, married and had a family. She had known about Torchwood and about Jack. Ianto had told her. At first she had been jealous of his memories but he had worked hard to assure her that he truly did love her. He had still loved Jack and had told her that would never change but that he was not going to fall out of love with her even if Jack came back.

And now he _was_ back.

"Jack?"

"Ianto…" Jack sat down on the edge of the bed. He smiled as a pale, wrinkled hand reached up to finger his coat.

"I've missed this coat." Ianto smiled up at him. "You came back."

"I said I would."

"I knew you would be back." Ianto carefully sat up, his body groaning in protest. "I had to hang on just a bit. But you're here, you're really here."

Jack closed his eyes and pulled his lover into his arms. He hugged him as tightly as he dared for a moment before pulling back to kiss his forehead.

"And you were so worried that you'd lose your hair," he teased. His face sobered a bit and he took in his lover's face. He had missed so much. Yet for him it had been only two years. "I love you."

Ianto smiled and said, "I love you, my dashing Captain." He caressed a perfect cheek.

"I'm sorry." Tears slipped down between cheek and palm.

"What for?"

"Not getting back sooner. You're dying, aren't you?" Jack could not keep the sorrow out of his voice.

"Yep." It was so short and sweet, a reminder of days long since past. "But it's all right. You came back, that's all that matters. Besides, I'm not afraid of the dark. I know that you love me now and that you will always love me, no matter how many centuries pass. Until the end of time I know you'll be thinking of me. You won't be alone because I'll be in here." He rested his hand over Jack's heart. "Even when you can't recall my name, my face or the smell of my coffee I know that you will remember my love for you."

"Did you have a good life?" Jack asked. He had to know that Ianto had not given up too much for him.

"Yes, it's been wonderful. Oh! Gwen and Rhys live near by; they're still together. Do try to stop by and visit with them, Gwen's missed you and Rhys… He's forgiven you. They took over Torchwood. Only people to successfully retire with a pension! Captain Hart has been around a few times too. He and I chatted a lot. He loves you but he understands that you and he aren't good together."

"But what about you?" Jack stressed. "I want to hear all about you."

"In my closet there are several cardboard boxes. My diaries, letters to you, photographs… I want you to have it all."

"Thank you." Jack held him tighter. Ianto didn't have long, perhaps a few weeks. "Now, talk to me."

"About what?" Not much longer now. Soon he would have to go. But not quite yet.

"About you. Tell me everything."

Jack sat there holding Ianto everyday for seven weeks. Ianto slept very little as he wanted to be with the one he loved the most for as long as he could. They talked about everything. Torchwood, Gwen, Owen and Tosh, the dark, the Doctor, Jack's travels, Ianto's life after Jack had left. They held nothing back. They didn't make love, it wasn't necessary. They were together and that was all that mattered to them.

On the eve of the last day Ianto asked Jack to please not put his life on hold, to not hold back from love.

"I know that there will be others and it's okay. You've been the most important person to me and I'm glad I meant enough to you to have you here now. But please let me go… I couldn't bear it if you let yourself hurt because I'm gone."

"You won't be gone. You're right here, inside my heart. Even when this planet is gone you're still be here. Infact, I'll come back once more to say goodbye to this world. But I'll never say goodbye to you, not for real. I promise that I won't compare others to you. Let me mourn you a bit before I let you go, though."

"Thank you… for being you, for coming back so many times, for loving me."

"It'll be hard without you, but I know you'll always be with me."

"Jack, if you can't recall anything else about this time, remember this: You are not alone."

Jack cradled Ianto's face into his hands and kissed him one last time. They sat in silence the rest of the evening.

A little after 10 p.m. Ianto took his last breath. Jack pressed his lips against the still-warm skin of his forehead and closed his eyes.

_Jack!_

He opened his eyes and smiled. Owen and Tosh stood there with Ianto between them. They all looked as they had years ago, so young and carefree. The way he would always remember them. He raised a hand to them in farewell.

One day, Jack, you will see us again, and when that time comes we'll never be apart again. We'll be together forever. All of us.

They faded away and Jack found that he wasn't sad. He had no reason to be. He understood that alien head's words to him the day he left earth two years ago.

"You are not alone."

No, he wasn't alone. Not now and not ever. For one thing, Gwen was still alive. He would go and see her, talk to her and be with her until she too was gone. Rhys too. He owed the man that much. Then there was the Doctor. And Rose. So many others he would meet again and for the first time.

He wasn't alone. He was Captain Jack Harkness. One day he would be with Ianto and the others again. He knew that.

And he was happy.

~~ End Future 1 ~~

~_~_~

So sorry if this depressed anyone! After all, if Jack were to come back there's a good possiblity that he would have gotten there either JUST in time or too late. I had considered writing about him coming back in time to go to Ianto's funeral, but thought that at least this way Jack would get some closure. Hopefully the rest will be more light-hearted.

~_~_~

~~ Future 2 ~~

With a yawn Ianto Jones started up the coffee maker and waited patiently for his coffee to brew. A glance at the calendar told him that today was Sarah's birthday party. He smiled as he thought of his littlest grandchild. It was hard to believe how quickly time had flown; it seemed like only yesterday his oldest son was calling him with the news that his wife was pregnant. Now, twelve years later and Ianto had seven grandchildren.

"Ianto, love, you're up early." His wife, Julie looked as beautiful to him now as she had when they had first met. Her long hair was no longer brown but gray, her once crease-free face was filled with laugh lines and her once curvy body was more rounded. She was beautiful.

"Morning, kitten," he said with a smile. "I couldn't sleep. Did I wake you?" He reached for two mugs and filled them both with coffee. He handed her one and watched lovingly as she added cream and sugar.

"No, you know me… I just can't sleep properly without in bed with me." She smiled at him and raised her mug to her lips. "Mmm. Perfect as always. Are you going into the shop today?"

They owned a little coffee shop a few blocks away. Ianto had chosen to leave Torchwood behind and start a new life. He was still close to Gwen and Rhys. In fact, he saw them several times a week and he and Julie had them over for meals frequently. His wife, bless her, did not pretend to understand the bond between them but she welcomed the Williams into her home. She also did not completely understand Ianto's feelings towards Jack. Yes, he had told his wife about the only man that he had loved. Strangely enough she did not feel jealous of the memories. She used to ask him about Jack but now she was completely comfortable with the fact that her husband loved another as much as he love her. Ianto knew that he was very fortunate to have her.

Before Ianto could answer his wife's query a knock on the front door distracted them.

Ianto stepped away from the counter and made his way to the front of the house. He set his mug onto a table as he past and he reached for the knob. He opened the door and looked at the unexpected arrival.

"Jack."

Jack Harkness smiled softly at the figure before him. He had been gone for several years in his attempt to find solace for himself. He had not intended on missing out on Ianto's life. But at least he had not missed it entirely. He only hoped that he would be welcome.

"Ianto." His lover was much older, in his sixties, but the blue eyes were as alive and strong as ever. The scar on his face from the explosion was faint and his lips were quirked into a smile.

"Come in. I'd like you to meet my wife." Ianto stepped back and watched as his lover moved into the house. "Coffee?"

"Do you have to ask?" Okay, now he was worried. Who let their lover meet their wife?

"Ianto, love, who is it?" Julie stepped out of the kitchen and stared at the handsome young man before her. Her old face broke into a smile. "Oh, I see. You must be Jack. Ianto's told me so much about you. Welcome to our home."

"It's an honor to meet you, Ma'am." Jack took her hand gently in his. "I know that you must be something special as Ianto Jones only settles for the best." He kissed her hand.

"Yes, he always had such high standards." Julie was pleased that she felt no anger or jealously towards the handsome man in her home. She knew that no matter how long he lived Ianto's heart would always belong to this man. The fact that he had chosen to spend his life with her was enough.

Ianto smiled and out of reflex took Jack's coat for him.

"You have perfect timing. Today's my granddaughter Sarah's sixth birthday. Gwen's hosting the party at hers'. She'll be so happy to see you."

"I don't think that would be a good idea," Jack said slowly.

"If you're concerned about Rhys, he's long since forgiven you." Ianto set down a cup of black coffee. "We've all discussed what occurred many times over and eventually he came to accept that it was the only way. He's all right now. Besides, like Gwen said, there were still opportunities to be a mother. A few years after, just after Sarah and I had our firstborn, they adopted two children."

"Really? That's wonderful! They no doubt were perfect parents." Jack was happy, truly happy that they had been able to move on and have a family.

"And grandparents," Julie said with a smile. "The little darlings play together all of the time. We're all one big family." She looked at the man who was so dear to her husband's heart. "Jack, I would like you to stay with us for however long you're going to be here."

Both men were startled at that. Ianto had always thought he would be able to pick up and leave his family when Jack returned but had realized years ago that he loved them too much for that. And Jack was just glad for the chance to see Ianto once more, and that his lover had not stopped living on the slight chance that he returned to be with him.

"Julie…"

"Mrs. Jones…"

"No. I mean it. I won't pretend to understand it all but I know that Ianto loves me and won't leave me. I also know that he loves you and it will hurt him to not be with you. I love him so how could I just stand by and watch him suffer?" She took a deep breath. "Besides, I've had him for many years, the two of you barely got started. Doesn't seem fair."

"If you're sure, then I would love to stay here," Jack replied.

"I'm sure."

They all smiled at each other.

"Now, which of you fine strong men are going to don the apron and frost the cupcakes?"

~~ End Future 2 ~~

Much happier, huh? I could see Ianto finding the ONE woman who would cheerfully allow her husband's male lover to live with them. Or maybe I'm just weird like that! Hehe…

~_~_~

~~ Future 3 ~~

Ianto sat in front of the television watching the evening news while he ate his dinner. It had been a long day at work; why he had chosen to take on the job of head archivist for the National Archives at the library in Cardiff was beyond him. It was a more painful job than hunting down aliens.

Hmm… It had been ten years since Jack had left. A lot had happened to him since then. He had fallen in love, even gotten married. He still felt the pain of loss at his wife's passing. She had died in childbirth, leaving him and their now seven-year-old son Colin alone.

Torchwood had never been rebuilt, instead the hole had been filled, the Tourist office was now a café and he and Gwen had moved on. Gwen was now a Detective Inspector for the Cardiff police while Rhys continue to run and expand Harwood's Haulage. Once a week they had Ianto over for dinner and they simply lived their lives. It was nice.

But it would have been better to have Jack there as well.

"I don't want you to put your life on hold for me. It could be years."

Ianto hadn't put his life on hold. He had done what he'd been unable to do before when Lisa had died. He had moved on. Yet he knew that all it would take was for Jack to return and he would go to him once again.

_"I'm not asking you to stay," Ianto said. "I know that you have to leave. I know that right now this planet is too small for you. What I'm asking you is to come back."_

_"One day, when I've found a little bit of peace, I'll come back."_

Have you found that peace yet, Jack, he wondered. He hoped Jack wasn't still feeling guilty for what had happened. Yes, Gwen had been devastated by the loss of her baby and Ianto still had days when his leg acted up, but they had known the risks of joining and working for Torchwood. The fact that they had been able to walk away and have normal lives was amazing.

Knock knock

Ianto heaved himself up from the couch and glanced towards Colin's room. The little boy was fast asleep and could generally sleep through anything. How he envied him!

He crossed the room, cane in hand, and opened the door. The sight that greeted him was one he had dreamed about for so long and now he smiled.

"Jack." _I love you._

"Ianto." _I came back for you._

"Come in, please." _You're here, you're really here._

"Thank you." _Forgive me for leaving you, please._

"Take your coat?" _Do you still love me?_

"Sure. Coffee?" _I'm never leaving you again._

"Of course."

"Ianto…?"

"Jack…?"

"I love you."

Jack pulled Ianto into his arms and kissed him as if he could take back all of the years apart. Perhaps he could.

"I love you too." Ianto rested his forehead against that of his Captain's. He was happy, this was heaven.

"Daddy?" came a plaintive cry.

Whoops! Trust tonight to be the one night his son had a nightmare scary enough to wake him from his slumber.

"Colin…" Ianto pulled away and walked swiftly to his son's room, Jack was right behind him.

The little boy blinked up at his daddy and the man with him. "Bad dream, daddy."

Ianto smiled and sat down next to his son allowing the little boy to climb into his arms.

"It's all right now, I'm here." And so is Jack. He always chased away my nightmares, he can for you too."

Jack gingerly sat down next to his lover and looked at the boy.

"I'm widowed," Ianto said softly. "I did as you said and carried on. You were my reason for being so alive but I let myself heal and move on in life."

"So, no jealous wife or girlfriend to have to run away from in fear then?" Jack asked with a grin.

"Nope. Just be warned, he's at that age where he sneaks into my bed shortly before dawn a couple nights a week." He raised his eyes to his immortal lover. "Stay with me?"

"Forever, Tiger Pants."

~~ End Future 3 ~~

For those who have read some of my other stories and have noticed the use of "Tiger Pants" in many of them, one of the TW novels Trace Memory is where the nickname comes from. Jack first tried to use "Sport" but Ianto quickly shot that idea down and so Jack called him "Tiger Pants", because of Ianto's love of pinstripes (I assume). I like using it because I, like you, have wondered just what the boys are like when they're alone. That, and my "story stalker" (you know who you are! Hehe) loves it and said I should use it a lot. How could I say no?

More possible futures for Jack and Ianto to come! Hopefully I'll be able to include Gwen too, let's wait and see what my muses (the ones from the Disney cartoon movie "Hercules") say about that. There's going to be nothing but happy endings (yes, even that first ficlet _was_ happy because Jack came back and was there as Ianto died) but there will be some with a few bumps ahead before the end. If you have suggestions, email me or leave it in a review. Be warned though: if I don't think I can do justice to your idea then I will TRY but it may not make it.

Thanks for reading! Look for more ficlets in ~~ Possible Futures ~~ soon!!!


End file.
